The '''1953 North Sea flood''' (, literally "flood disaster") was a major flood+ caused by a heavy storm, that occurred on the night of Saturday, 31 January 1953 and morning of Sunday, 1 February 1953. The floods struck the Netherlands+, Belgium+, England+ and Scotland+.

A combination of a high spring tide+ and a severe European windstorm+ over the North Sea+ caused a storm tide+; the combination of wind, high tide, and low pressure led to a water level of more than above mean sea level in some locations. The flood and waves overwhelmed sea defences and caused extensive flooding. The Netherlands+, a country with 20% of its territory below mean sea level+ and 50% less than above sea level and which relies heavily on sea defences, was worst affected, recording 1,836 deaths and widespread property damage. Most of the casualties occurred in the southern province of Zeeland+. In England, 307 people were killed in the counties+ of Lincolnshire+, Norfolk+, Suffolk+ and Essex+. 19 were killed in Scotland. 28 were killed in West Flanders+, Belgium.

Realising that such infrequent events could recur, the Netherlands particularly, and the United Kingdom carried out major studies on strengthening of coastal defences. The Netherlands developed the Delta Works+, an extensive system of dams and storm surge barrier+s. The UK constructed storm surge barriers on the River Thames+ below London and on the river Hull where it meets the Humber estuary+.

On the night of 31 January – 1 February 1953, many dykes+ in the provinces of Zeeland+, South Holland+ and North Brabant+ proved unable to resist the combination of spring tide+ and a northwesterly storm. On both the islands and the mainland, large areas of country were completely flooded. Many people still commemorate the dead on 1 February.

At the time of the flood, none of the local radio stations broadcast at night, and many of the smaller weather station+s operated only during the day. As a result, the warnings of the KNMI+ (Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute) did not penetrate the flood-threatened area in time. People were unable to prepare for the impending flood. As the disaster struck on a Saturday night, many offices in the disaster area were unstaffed.

As telephone and telegraph+ networks were disrupted by flood damage, within hours amateur radio operator+s went into the affected areas with their equipment to form a voluntary emergency radio network. These well-organized radio amateurs worked tirelessly, providing radio communications for ten days and nights, and were the only people maintaining contact with the outside world.

Afterward, the government started the Delta Commission to study the causes and effects of the floods. They estimated that flooding killed 1,835 people and forced the emergency evacuation+ of 70,000 more. Floods covered 9% of Dutch farmland+, and sea water flooded 1,365 km² of land. An estimated 30,000 animals drowned, and 47,300 buildings were damaged, of which 10,000 were destroyed. Total damage is estimated at 1 billion Dutch guilders+.

The (Schielands High Seadyke) along the river Hollandse IJssel+ was all that protected three million people in the provinces of South+ and North Holland+ from flooding. A section of this dyke, known as the Groenendijk, was not reinforced with stone revetment+s. The water level was just below the crest and the seaside slope was weak.

Volunteers worked to reinforce this stretch. But, the Groenendijk began to collapse under the pressure around 5:30 am on 1 February. Seawater flooded into the deep polder. In desperation, the mayor+ of Nieuwerkerk+ commandeered the river ship ''de Twee Gebroeders'' (''The Two Brothers'') and ordered the owner to plug the hole in the dyke by navigating the ship into it. Fearing that the ship might break through into the polder+, captain Arie Evegroen took a row boat+ with him. The mayor's plan turned out to be successful, as the ship was lodged firmly into the dyke, saving many lives.

It was said that the Afsluitdijk+ across the entrance of the Zuiderzee+ paid for its construction cost in that one night, by preventing destructive flooding round the Zuiderzee.

Several neighbouring countries sent soldiers to assist in searching for bodies and rescuing people. The U.S. Army+ sent helicopters from Germany to rescue people from the rooftops. Queen Juliana+ and Princess Beatrix+ visited the flooded area only a few days after. A large aid program came on apace, supported by the radio. A national donation program was started and there was a large amount of international aid. The Red Cross+ was overwhelmed and decided to send some of the funds to Third World countries.

Politically, the disaster prompted discussions concerning the protection and strengthening of the dykes, eventually leading to the Delta Works+, an elaborate project to enable emergency closing off of most estuary+-mouths.

The North Sea flood of 1953 was one of the most devastating natural disasters ever recorded in the United Kingdom+. Over 1,600 km of coastline was damaged, and sea wall+s were breached, inundating 1,000 km². Flooding forced 30,000 people to be evacuated from their homes, and 24,000 properties were seriously damaged.

Probably the most devastating storm to affect Scotland over the last 500 years, the surge crossed between the Orkney and Shetland Isles. The storm generated coastal and inland hazards, including flooding, erosion, destruction to coastal defences and widespread wind damage. The storm's wrath was widely felt across Scotland, with 19 fatalities reported. The fishing village of Crovie+ (then in Banffshire, now Aberdeenshire+), built on a narrow strip of land along the Moray Firth+ coast, was abandoned by many of its inhabitants as entire structures were swept into the sea.

The surge raced down the East Coast into the southern North Sea, where it was exaggerated by the shallower waters. In Lincolnshire, flooding occurred from Mablethorpe+ to Skegness+, reaching as far as 2 miles inland.

In East London, water poured from the Royal Docks+ into Silvertown+, where it drained into the sewers only to flood back out of them again in Canning Town+ and Tidal Basin. There was one local fatality: William Hayward, a night watchman at William Ritchie and Son, died of exposure to gas from a damaged pipe. Almost 200 people were made temporarily homeless and took refuge at Canning Town Public Hall.

The total death toll on land in the UK is estimated at 307. The total death toll at sea for the UK, including the today).

The coastal defence of Flanders+ was also severely damaged. Near Ostend+, Knokke+ and Antwerp+, heavy damage was done to the sea defence with local breaches. Twenty-eight people died, including a famous Belgian musician, Robert Dubois.

After the 1953 flood, it was realised that similar infrequent events were possible in the future.

In the UK the Permanent Secretary+ to the Home Office+ Sir Frank Newsam+ coordinated the immediate efforts to defend homes, save lives and recover after the floods. After the flooding, major investments were made in new sea defences. The Thames Barrier+ programme was started to secure central London against a future storm surge; the Barrier was officially opened on 8 May 1984.

*The composition ''Requiem Aeternam 1953'' by Douwe Eisenga+ was written as a commemoration of the flood.
*The Dutch public broadcasting foundation has made numerous documentaries about the North Sea Flood. Two have been adapted as English versions: ''The Greatest Storm'' and ''1953, the Year of the Beast''.
*BBC+ ''Timewatch+'' made a documentary about the North Sea flood of 1953, called ''The Greatest Storm.''
*An episode of the ITV+ series ''Savage Planet+'' featured the flood.
*In January 2008, the Brighton-based band British Sea Power+ released their third album, entitled ''Do You Like Rock Music?+'', which includes the song "Canvey Island", referring to the floods.
*The 1953 floods were mentioned in detail in the drama film ''Flood''+ (2007).
*In 2009 a Dutch action+-drama+ titled ''De Storm+'' (''The Storm'') was released.
*The book ''The Little Ark'' by Jan de Hartog+, published in 1953, depicted the flood and was adapted as a film by the same name in 1972.
*The short story, ''The Netherlands Lives with Water'', by Jim Shepard+, contains a passage describing the event.
*The 1976 book ''Oosterschelde, windkracht 10'', by Jan Terlouw+ is the story of the flood in Zeeland+, The Netherlands+. The first part describes with the storm itself, while the second part describes the conflict about the Delta Works+.
*The 2012 non-fiction book ''The Sugar Girls+'', by Duncan Barrett+ and Nuala Calvi, describes the effects of the flood in East London+, and on workers at Tate and Lyle+'s East End+ factories.
* John Wyndham+'s apocalyptic science fiction+ novel "The Kraken Wakes+" - which was published in 1953, the year of the flood - includes a section in which the whole of the Netherlands is flooded due to aliens melting the polar icecaps.
* Mentioned in the movie ''Bride Flight+'' as one of the reasons some were immigrating to New Zealand+.
*Mentioned in Susan Vreeland's Girl In Hyacinth Blue, Ch. 5 ¨Morningshine¨

North Sea flood of 1953+ The 1953 North Sea flood (Dutch: Watersnoodramp, literally "flood disaster") was a major flood caused by a heavy storm, that occurred on the night of Saturday, 31 January 1953 and morning of Sunday, 1 February 1953. The floods struck the Netherlands, Belgium, England and Scotland.